we.. 0. )/ CLASSIFICATION: --EXPOSITORY --BIOGRAPHICAL --TEXTUAL - -TOPICAL DEVOTIONAL TEXT Acts 7:57-8:1; 9:1-2, 10-11, 17: 26-27

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1 SUBJECT TEXT Acts 7:57-8:1; 9:1-2, 10-11, 17: "WHY ARE YOU HERE?" TITLa: SCRIPTURE READIN,,, _ E.F~~- ::t--99 ~D---~-- )/ CLASSIFICATION: --EXPOSITORY --BIOGRAPHICAL --TEXTUAL - -TOPICAL DEVOTIONAL DELIVERIES: F.rl.C. S-4~ozs ec., Date ; -J._?-1) Hour WED. we.. 0. Place San Angelo, TX U/~J-A R ults and Comments: BIBLIOGRAPHY

2 S'ARD~ 6,c, ;).-;J.Jf--fl /,1/~j_,(f- ;>() r 6 C.:5 ~ Ai,,t f~ S'- I '7-0,,, 1//~ 0 P,Af Why Are You Here? Acts 7:57-8:1; 9:1-32 Let's examine Acts 7-9. Here, we will find three purposes God gives Christians for being a part of the church. We see these purposes fulfilled in three Christians who influenced Saul. As you see their purpose in the early church, you also will see your purpose in the church today. So, why are you here? First, to serve as an examp1e, Then, to serve as an eguipper and as an encour-..jlifj'. 1. You are here to serve as an example A. Stephen served as an example to Saul. God often gets our attention through another person who serves as a model for us. That persbn usually has a life that you just can't explain in terms of the natural. For Saul, that person was Stephen. In Acts 7:57-58, Stephen was proclaiming Jesus as Lord. Many Jewish leaders disapproved of his actions and prepared to stone him. They placed~-~ s clothes at Saul's feet. cts 8:1 tells us how Saul actually gave approval to Stephen's death. Why was Stephen there-a part of the New Testament church-being persecuted? He was there to serve as an example. No doubt, Stephen had a profound influence upon Saul. Despite persecution, Stephen held fast to his faith. Saul probably wondered, "What gives? Why is this fellow so pleasant about being stoned?" Stephen was not joyful because he was being tormented. He was joyful because he was serving his Savior, setting an example in the early church to the likes of a persecutor named Saul. B. God wants us to serve in the church as examples to others. God has brought you into the church for a reason. Part of that reason is to serve as an e~an_:iple. Whv are vou

3 ... -~.--- o Will see your good works and praise your Father in heaven (Matt. 5: 16, paraphrased)! If we emphasize getting back to the basic purpose of the church for renewal, we must start to refocus on~ J!l& as an example for others so we can be involved in the Lord's work of building His kingdom. For Saul, Stephen was an example. For me, it was 11 Y /4~_7/IS:R) ~u,.jn... r-. 1 f rh _5 -- ff';t 1 It---~~ -::i"e1m?,1al w f)a R fj :J +A11 le y Co 7 Why are you here? To serve as an ex~ pft,"'(j"jt ilfar ~ ~a:lnot all. Realize this: Goa doesn' t call all of us to be artyrs like Stephen. But, He does call us all to be living sacrifices (see Rom. 12: 1-2). Why is i! important for you to make a public profession of your faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord? So you can set an example. That' s part of why you are in church. Besides, Jesus said, " hoever acknowledges me oefore men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven" (Matt. 10:32-33, INIV). Peter 3: 15 also encourages us to "al- ays be prepared to give an answer to eyeryone who asks [us] to give the reason or th ope that [we] have." little help from our friends. To be effectively involved in the Lord' s work of producing and reproducing Christiam we need someone to equip us. Saul was well educated in the law and the prophets. He also needed some instruction about settiqg out to do the work of the Christian ministry. Ananias served as an equipper for Saul. s I began my ministry., -r ; /!r77f"edl J ~ clp: _,Al ht Ce, ff> FM-nkf ~ SP41d-e~ Jik ~ Why is it important to become a member of a local church? o you can be involved n the equipping procesi Others can serve as examples and equjppers for you. Yo can learn basic Christian doctrines and identify with a local body of believers. For others to ent~st you with re sponsibilities in the church, it is important for you to enter into a covenant with them publicly_:._allowing therr to disciple and to equip you for service. You could almost consider church membership like an a1u2reoticesbip to the production and reproduction of Christians.,. A. Ananias served as an equipper for Saul. After Saul witnessed the death of Stephen, he met the Lord. The Lord let him know right away that his life was not exemplary. Saul did many "religious" things, but his type of religious practice brought about persecution of the church and of the Lord himself t!acts 9:4-6) 4.J) Saul thought he was doing all the right things, but the Lord brought him to his knees. How was Saul to learn to do L ngs God's w~y? The Lord sen~to equip him :;\cts 9~11-15). Ananias wasn't crazy,.about going to Saul, but the Lord strongly urged him. He assured Ana- l\e. nias that Saul had been converted. In fact, Saul was praying. And, as Charles Spurgeon once said, "Prayer is the autograph of the Holy Ghost upon the renewed heart." As Ananias arrived at the house where Saul was, he went about equipping and enabling Saul to begin his ministry (Acts 9:17-19). Why was Ananias there-a part of ), the New Testament church? He was called to approach Saul to serve as an equipper. He was one disciple equipping another to grow and to serve in the Lord. B. God wants us to serve in the chu'e_~ e4!!ippers to others. ~ l.8' ~ 1 'f- 1)..() '~ -llt5c-l"h, When does a Chri~tian know everything~fffl ' ",, know about serving God? Never! We are all in a dynamthem to equip you. Why are you here? You need to be equipping ot ers t carry out the work of the ministry-just as you are equipped to do the same. Of course, you are here for even more than that. 3. You are here to serve as an encourager (Acts 9:20-2) w-~. A. Bar_nabas served as an encourager to Saul. After experiencing the Lord and being e ui pe ~ Ananias, Saul set out for his ministry. cts 9: tells us how he began to preach that Jesus is tli on of God. erse describes how he grew more and becam more eiful. As usual, though, as Saul proposed some changes in the synagogue, there were folks who didn' t like it (9: 23). Saul even tried to run some of his ministr) ideas by the old faithfuls-the disciples-but they were actually afraid of him 9:26). """".. cts 9:27 oescribes how Barnabas came onto the seen and served as an encourager for Saul. He vouched for Saul's authenticity an~ abj e couraged Saul, ~ed strength for his minthtr.>'v:ecse 3 ~ goes on to explain that the church w encouraged by t e Holy Spirit. Thus, it grew in numbers The encouragement of Barnabas did wonders for Saul and the church!

4 B. God wants tis to serve in the church as encouragers. What is it like going day in and day out, serving the Lord, but never receiving any :yerha) aff.im-11hi91l? It is (i difficult! We're not supposed to work for men, but for the Lord. But, we are called to encourage one another :rtiess: 5: 11 ). ~t is difficu!t _to maintain zeal, enthusiasm, trom Hana1cap 10 Healing Acts 3:1-8 and p1zzazz without receiving encouragement. Sure, God DAN FERGUSON encourages us. But, one o the main ~ources of encour-,, f~ Pastor, First Baptist Church agement he uses is other Christians. 'CM ~ ov~af,e -., ~ ~,e 11 Hinton, West Virginia Why is it important to be fai thful to th fellowship-to attending church regularly? So you can encourage the work of producing and r.epmducing Christians going on for the Lord, and so you can be encouraged yourself. Why are you here? I,o encourage others to serve the Lord with gladness and to he encouraged to serve him in F like manner. You are here- at church-today. Why? Maybe you have seen an example in someone and need to profess your faith in Christ so you, too, can be an example for others. How well are you serving as an example for others around you? That's why you are here. Maybe you have seen the need to come and join this fellowship so you can begin to receive the equipping you need to help others. How much thought and time do you give to equipping others? It seems much easier to criticize than to equip, doesn't it? You are here to help equip other. Maybe you have seen the need to be more faithful in your church attendance. aybe you neeo encouragement so you can become an encourager to someone else. How much time do you devote to encouraging ot ers? Do you look for the P.OSitive things you can comme t upon? That' s why you are here... to encourage o ers. ~ 4Y... /),5. Why are you heretjpo~ s~mething? ; o.qfj. something? The Lord says you are here 7o ~ _ ~omething-an example. an eguipper, an encour ~ Does your purpose in being here match the Lord's? If not, you need to do something about that right now. Jesus declared in John 16:33, "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation: but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" (NKJV). 1 Life at its best confronts each of us with different trials, troubles, and tragedies. Christians are not immune to or exempt from handicaps, hardships, or heartache because we live in a sin-cursed world and belong to a sin-cursed race. If we are not care ful, such experiences can leave us feeling discouraged and defeated. They can rob us of our peace and can weaken our faith. In the face of life's handicaps, the words of Romans 8:28 are a soft pillow for the child of God: "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." We would do well to remember that our God i not nearly as concerned with what has been in our lives as He is with what can be in our lives. God wants to get us beyond our past and our present so that we can reach our God-given potential and realize our God-given possibilities. In Acts 3: 1-8 we find a tragic story of handicap and the triumphant story of healing. God healed the handicap of a man,in ways that forever changed his past, his present, and his potential. God can and will do the same for you and me. THE HANDICAP IN THIS MAN'S LIFE In Acts 3;1-3 we learn that Peter and John encountered a man who had been born with a severe handicap-he was lame. This unfortunate fellow could not stand, nor could he walk. His physical defect had left him totally disablec and tragically dysfunctional. Every day that he lived, thii man was an inconvenience and irritation to someone. All of us struggle with some kind of handicap, whethe it be physical, emotional, mental, financial, social, relational, or spiritual in nature. Many people feel like life has victimized them and treated them unfairly. Some foll can see only the mess their lives are in. That'.s a terrible way to look at life and a tragic way to live life. God doesn't want us dragging around and drowning under tht h """"""P r.f r.nr n ~~t nr rn1r nrf':~f':nt. Goel w~nts us to see

5 BIBLE STUDY Why Are You Here? Acts 7:57-8:1; 9:1-2, 10-11, 17; But they cried out with a loud voice, and covered their ears, and they rushed upon him with one impulse. 5 NAnd when they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him, and the witnesses laid aside their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 And they went on stoning Stephen as he called upon the Lord and said, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!" 60 And falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them!" And having said this, he fell asleep. 1 And Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death. 1 Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, 1 and asked for letter from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 10 Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias." And he said, "Behold, here am I, Lord." //And the Lord said to him, "Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for a man from ~7 arsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying. " 17And Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight, and be filled with the Holy Spirit. 16And when he had come to Jerusalem, he was trying to associate with the disciples; and they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple. 17 But Barnabas took hold of him and brought him to the apostles and described to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had talked to him, and how at Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus. I. To Serve as an Example Acts 7:57-8: 1 I. Stephen served as an example to Saul. 2. We are to serve as examples to others. Matthew 5: I 6 "Let your I ight shine... " I II. To Serve as an Equipper Acts 9: Ananias served as an equipper for Saul. 2. We are to serve as equippers to others. Matthew 28: "Go therefore and make disciples... teaching them... " III. To Serve as an Encourager Acts 9:20-32 I. Barnabas served as an encourager to Saul. 2. We are to serve as encouragers to others. I Thessalonians 5: 11 "Therefore encour age one another and build up one another... " "Why Are You Here?"! Not to get something! Not to do something! But to BE something - an example, an equipper, an encourager!

6 Why Are You Here? Acts 7:57-8:1; 9:1-2, 10-11, 17; ' 7 But they cried out with a loud voice, and covered their ears, and they rushed upon him with one impulse. ' 8 And when they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him, and the witnesses laid aside their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul. nand they went on stoning Stephen as he called upon the Lord and said, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!" 60 And falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, "lord, do not hold this sin against them!" And having said this, he fell asleep. 'And Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death. 1 Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went lo the high priest, 1 and asked for letter from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound lo Jerusalem. 10 Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and the lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias." And he said, "Behold, here am I, lord." "And the lord said to him, "Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the h~se of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul, Jor behola, he is praying. " 17 And Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight, and be filled with the Holy Spirit. 16And when he had come to Jerusalem, he was trying to associate with the disciples; and they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple. 17 But Barnabas took hold of him and brought him to the apostles and described lo them how he had seen the lord on the road, and that He had talked to him, and how at Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus.. I. To Serve as an Example Acts 7:57-8: 1 I. Stephen served as an example to Saul. 2. We are to serve as examples to others. Matthew 5: 16 "Let your light shine... " II. To Serve as an Equipper Acts9:l Ananias served as an equipper for Saul. 2. We are to serve as equippers to others. Matthew 28: "Go therefore and make disciples... teaching them... " III. To Serve as an Encourager Acts 9: Barnabas served as an encourager to Saul. 2. We are to serve as encouragers to others. I Thessalonians 5: 11 "Therefore encour age one another and build up one another... " "Why Are You Here?"! Not to get something : Not to do something! But to BE something - an example, an equipper, an encourager!